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India’s batting lacked fluency but a strong performance from their bowlers in the second Twenty20 international against New Zealand set up a six-wicket win in a low-scoring thriller in Lucknow yesterday to level the series at 1-1.Following a top-order wobble, captain Hardik Pandya (15 not out) and Suryakumar Yadav (26 not out) combined for a crucial 31-run partnership as they helped the hosts reach 101-4 on the penultimate ball, chasing New Zealand’s 99-8. India captain Pandya said yesterday: “I always believed we will finish the game. It went quite deep, but that is how it is. These kind of games, it is important to not panic. Rather than taking risks, we rotated the strike. having said that, this is a shocker of a pitch.”He added: “We need to make sure we have better pitches. Even 120 would have been a winning total here. We kept to our plans, we made sure they will not rotate the strike, and the wickets kept falling. Dew didn’t play much of a role because if you see they were able to spin the ball more than us. It was a shocker of a wicket. The ball was flying for even the fast bowlers.”Spinners Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell picked up a wicket apiece, while Indian batters Ishan Kishan and Washington Sundar were both run out.New Zealand had posted a strong total of 176 in the first game on Friday, but were unable to repeat that on a pitch that offered plenty of turn, and India’s bowlers put them under pressure throughout the innings.Five Indian bowlers picked up a wicket before Arshdeep Singh dismissed Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson.“It was a great game of cricket,” Santner said. “We bowled well, got really close, another 10-15 runs would have helped. With the bounce out there, it looked quite challenging. When you are batting, you are not too sure what a good score. We were looking at 140-160 when 120 would have been a good score.”The third and final T20I of the series will take place in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.Brief scoresNew Zealand 99-8 in 20 overs (M. Santner 19 not out; A. Singh 2-7) lost to India 101-4 in 19.5 overs (S. Yadav 26 not out; M. Bracewell 1-13) by 6 wickets

Germany came from 2-0 behind to overcome defending champions Belgium and win the hockey World Cup yesterday in a dramatic see-saw final ending in a sudden death shootout.Belgium went ahead in the first quarter in Bhubaneswar, India with Florent Van Aubel collecting the ball after a deflection and smashing it powerfully into the backboard.Moments later Tanguy Cosyns doubled Belgium’s lead, collecting a neat cross in front of the German goal for an easy tap-in. Germany reviewed the goal decision but it stood.Early in the second quarter Belgium’s keeper Vincent Vanasch saved a penalty stroke but just before half-time Niklas Wellen got one back for Germany.Germany then scored through Gonzalo Peillat to make it 2-2 and in the final period captain Mats Grambusch squeezed a shot between Vanasch’s legs to go ahead 3-2.But with under two minutes remaining, Belgium’s Tom Boon equalised from a penalty corner, taking the game into a shootout. This went to sudden death and Germany won 5-4.“Belgium is a world-class team. They have so much quality. We knew it would be a huge clash against them,” Wellen, named player of the match, said afterwards.“If you come back from two goals down three times in a row, it’s not luck. It’s our quality, it’s our mentality. And we showed that again today,” he said.“The last few weeks have been the best of my life,” said Wellen, who scored in the final. Wellen also became a father during the tournament. “The win today is just incredible. I’m speechless.”Belgium hockey’s golden generation were hoping to win their second World Cup in a row, after cruising into the final despite having the tournament’s oldest side.Their passage to the final included a shootout victory over the Netherlands in the semi-finals and a 2-0 thumping of New Zealand in the quarters. On their way to the final Germany beat England and then Australia.

The Qatar Stars League (QSL) announced the dates for Qatar Cup 2023, which will feature Al Sadd, Al Duhail, Al Wakrah and Al Arabi, the top four teams in 2021-2022 season QNB Stars League in that order.It has decided to hold the semifinals on Thursday, Feb 9, 2023, at the Jassim bin Hamad Stadium of Al Sadd club.The tournament format stipulates that the first-placed team in the league championship plays fourth-placed team and second-placed team plays with third-placed team.Accordingly, Al Sadd will play against Al Arabi and Al Duhail will play against Al Wakrah.The final is scheduled for April 6, 2023.

Czech top seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova successfully defended their Australian Open women's doubles crown on Sunday to extend their dominant Grand Slam streak.The pair outgunned Japan's 10th-seeded Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara 6-4, 6-3 to post their 24th straight win at a major after triumphing last year at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open."A big thanks to my partner Barbora," said Siniakova. "I'm so happy we did it again, it was a nice journey. Thank you for playing with me."It was their seventh Slam title to make them only the fifth women's team in the Open-era to claim so many. Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver hold the record with 20.They broke Shibahara's opening service game to immediately put the Japanese pair on the back foot and never let up, repeating the feat in the second set to cruise home in 1hr 29mins.

Bayern Munich stumbled to a 1-1 draw against visiting Eintracht Frankfurt yesterday to leave them with a slim, one-point Bundesliga lead after dropping points for the third game in a row with the same scoreline.The German champions, who face Paris St Germain on Feb 14 in the Champions League Round of 16, took a first-half lead when Leroy Sane rifled in from a Thomas Mueller assist in the 34th minute.Eintracht were largely anonymous until Daichi Kamada fed Randal Kolo Muani in the box and the forward beat France team mate Dayot Upamecano in a one-on-one to drill in a 69th-minute equaliser with his seventh league goal this season.The Bavarians, chasing a record-extending 11th straight league title, had a treble chance to score before the equaliser but eventually ran out of gas against fellow Champions League club Eintracht.They also drew their games against RB Leipzig and Cologne 1-1 following the restart of the season after the winter break and the result left them with a one-point lead over second-placed Union Berlin, who have 36 points after beating Hertha 2-0 in the Berlin derby. RB Leipzig are third on 35 following Friday’s 2-1 win over VfB Stuttgart, with Frankfurt in fifth place on 32.Berlin outplayed city rivals Hertha with their third straight victory of the year as they continued their remarkable season.The visitors took the lead a minute before the break with Danilho Doekhi beating two defenders in the air to head in a free kick after Hertha had made a confident start.With the hosts desperate for an equaliser, Union struck again in the 67th minute with a textbook break that ended with Paul Seguin tapping in for a two-goal cushion. Union keeper Frederik Ronnow then made two superb saves late in the second half to deny Hertha any chance of a late comeback, as the visitors secured their fifth straight league and German Cup win over their city rivals. Hertha’s third straight loss of the year means they remain anchored in 17th place on 14 points.Elsewhere, Freiburg beat Augsburg 3-1 at home to move into fourth place.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri Gonzalez earned his side a tense 1-0 Catalan derby victory at Girona on Saturday, opening a six-point gap ahead of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. With Carlo Ancelotti’s side hosting high-flying Real Sociedad on Sunday, Barca put their rivals under pressure to get a result and keep up with them in the title race.Pedri netted the only goal from close range after an hour at an icy Montilivi on his 100th appearance for Barcelona, after replacing the injured Ousmane Dembele. The French forward limped off in the first half, pulling up after a sprint and asking to be replaced, a blow for Barcelona considering his superb recent form.Barca coach Xavi Hernandez said the winger appeared to have a quadriceps injury. Despite the narrow margin of victory, Xavi believes his team is significantly stronger than when he took over in November 2021. “We have to be self-critical and improve in many ways, but we are happy, we have to look at where we came from,” Xavi said.“The change to the team and a lot of players is big, we have many things to improve on, but we’re on the right path. I think the (biggest difference) is the confidence of the players – when we arrived their confidence was on the floor.”Defensively the Catalans have been strong, conceding just six league goals this season and winning their last three matches 1-0 – they are unbeaten in 13 consecutive matches across all competitions. The league leaders were still without suspended Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, missing his final game after a three-match ban.Girona created the first chance after just three minutes, Rodrigo Riquelme’s smooth through ball feeding Yan Couto, whose shot was blocked. Dembele also had an effort deflected away at the other end after Ansu Fati won the ball from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.The French winger, who fired Barcelona into the Copa del Rey semi-finals against Real Sociedad midweek, was forced off injured after 25 minutes. Dembele’s first years at Barcelona were hampered by injuries but since Xavi’s arrival, the forward had been able to stay fit and firing.Xavi brought on Jordi Alba for Marcos Alonso at the break and it made the difference for Barcelona, who had been sluggish. The left-back set up Pedri’s opener with a cross from the left, tapped in by the Spaniard at the back post at the end of the first incisive move Barcelona had put together all game.Pedri, whom Xavi had intended to rest, reached a century of appearances for Barca at just 20 years old and celebrated with his 15th goal for the club. “I know I have to improve in front of goal (but) right now they are going in for me,” Pedri said.Ronald Araujo headed a cross off his own goal line under pressure as Girona pushed for an equaliser, throwing men forward. Ivan Martin missed a fine chance in stoppage time for the hosts as Barcelona lost all control of the game but survived a nervy finale to earn the win.Girona also appealed for a penalty as Eric Garcia tangled with Cristhian Stuani in the area. “There are situations in the box in which these tangles are given and sometimes not,” said Girona coach Michel, who was sent off in stoppage time for complaining about a foul by Frenkie de Jong.“Today, the final result is not due to the refereeing performance, I prefer to say these games are won by the players.”Earlier Cadiz climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 win over Real Mallorca.

M H K al-Attiyah-trained Karakoul claimed the Wadi Sail Cup, the feature race of Qatar Racing and Equestrian Club’s (QREC) 11th meeting at the Al Uqda Racecourse yesterday.Karakoul wrapped up a good day for Al Jeryan Stud with jockey Szczepan Mazur completing a double for the trio when taking a 1,200m contest for three to six years old for Thoroughbred Premium Maidens. The four-year-old gelding drew five and a half lengths clear.Earlier, in the 1,300m Handicap (75-95) for four-year-old+ Purebred Arabians, trainer Jihad El Ahmad teamed up with jockey Soufiane Saadi to good effect as Injaaz Stud’s Mubadir produced a smart turn of foot to clear away from the field and win in fine style by one and a half lengths.The 1,300m Handicap (0-80) for three-year-old+ Thoroughbreds was taken by Wathnan Racing’s Neat And Dandy, trained by Alban de Mieulle.The four-year-old gelding skipped away from the field under Ronan Thomas to record victory by a length and three quarters.Trainer Jassim Ghazali and jockey Marco Casamento made it a double on the day in the 1300m Novice for three-year-old+ Thoroughbred Fillies and Mares as they teamed up with Injaaz Stud’s Cotai Pearl to shoot clear and win by three lengths. In the 1,300m Maiden for four-year-old Purebred Arabians, Szczepan Mazur guided Al Jeryan Stud’s AJS Anayid to success for trainer MHK al-Attiyah as she took the race by a head from Ghazwah.The 2,000m Handicap (0-85) for three-year-old Thoroughbreds saw a win by the same margin (1¼ lengths), but this time it was Khalifa bin Mohamed al-Attiyah’s Almirgab, who under jockey Hugo Besnier, did all his best work in the closing stages to win for trainer Hamad al-Jehani.Opening the Wadi Al Sail Cup Day, Meshaal bin Ali al-Attiyah’s Al Mustashar gave trainer Jassim Ghazali and jockey Marco Casamento one more winner this week as the six-year-old won well and easily by a length and a quarter in the 1,300m Maiden for three to six years old Local Thoroughbreds.RESULTS(Horse, Trainer, Jockey)1-Wadi Al Sail Cup - Thoroughbred Premium Maiden (Class 6)Karakoul, MHK al-Attiyah, Szczepan Mazur2-Purebred Arabian Handicap 75-95Mubadir, Jihad El Ahmad, Soufiane Saadi3 - Thoroughbred Handicap 0-80 (Class 4)Neat And Dandy, Alban Elie de Mieulle, Ronan Thomas4 - Thoroughbred Novice Plate (Fillies & Mares) (Class 5)Cotai Pearl, Jassim Ghazali, Marco Casamento5 - Purebred Arabian Maiden Plate (four-year-old only)AJS Anayid, M.H.K al-Attiyah, Szczepan Mazur6 - Thoroughbred Handicap 0-85 (three-year-old only) (Class 4)Almirgab, Hamad al-Jehani, Hugo Besnier7 - Local Thoroughbred Maiden PlateAl Mustashar, Jassim Ghazali, Marco Casamento

Novak Djokovic has won all nine of his previous Australian Open finals so confidence is sky-high as he bids to equal Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam record and return to world number one.That makes the Serb heavy favourite but in Stefanos Tsitsipas his invincibility will face a major test when they meet in the Melbourne Park title match today.While Djokovic is into a record 33rd Grand Slam final and bidding to equal Nadal’s 22 major crowns, the Greek third seed will play only his second.Adding spice to the showdown, the winner will become world number one, dethroning Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz.That is added incentive for Djokovic, who last held the top ranking in June. “Winning Grand Slams and being the number one in the world are probably the two biggest peaks that you can climb as a professional tennis player,” the 35-year-old said.In Tsitsipas’s only previous Grand Slam final, at Roland Garros in 2021, he fell to Djokovic in five sets after holding a 2-0 lead.But the 24-year-old believes he has matured as a player and a person and is now better suited to the big stage in his quest to become the first Greek player to win a Grand Slam title.“I couldn’t be more ready for this moment,” said Tsitsipas, the youngest man to reach the Melbourne final since a 23-year-old Djokovic in 2011. “This is a very humbling opportunity for me, being in the finals here means a lot. “Having started here as one of my first junior Grand Slams and being now in the finals of the men’s event is as important as my very first steps that I took on the tennis court.“I’m going to grasp this opportunity.”In a sign of Tsitsipas’s growing stature, he made the final after falling in the Melbourne semis three times previously.Fourth seed Djokovic, who missed last year’s event when he was deported over his Covid vaccination stance, said he was eager to see what his opponent would bring to the table.“I’m of course very satisfied and pleased to be in another Grand Slam final. This is exactly what I’ve imagined and hoped will happen when I came to Australia,” he said. “I think that the experience of being in this particular situation and circumstances before helps. “I think also the fact that I never lost the Australian Open final definitely serves as a great confidence-booster prior to Sunday.”Buoyant TsitsipasDjokovic is strong favourite given his vast experience on the Melbourne hardcourts and also holding a 10-2 career record over Tsitsipas.But he has been struggling with a hamstring injury and off-court distractions after his father sparked a scandal when he was pictured posing next to a fan with a Russian flag featuring the face of Vladimir Putin.Tsitsipas said he was ready to cause an upset. “I’m playing great tennis. I’m enjoying myself. I just see no downside or negativity in what I’m trying to do out there,” he said. “I genuinely believe in what I’m able to produce. That is more than enough.”Both players are unbeaten this season. Djokovic is on an 11-match win streak after lifting the Adelaide title prior to Melbourne while Tsitsipas is 10-0 following his exploits at the mixed teams United Cup.Melbourne has big Greek and Serbian communities with both expected to be out in force to cheer on their idols. Djokovic is looking forward to a carnival atmosphere. “Serbian and Greek communities, are big, for sure. The Serbs and Greeks historically get along very well,” said Djokovic, who won his first Slam at Melbourne Park in 2008.“I just don’t think there’s going to be any conflict on and off the court in terms of the crowd.”

The preliminary rounds of the men’s event of the Qatar Grand Prix Fencing Championship 2023 were successfully concluded at the Aspire Dome yesterday, with Egypt’s Mahmoud Mohsen, the world No. 181, emerging as the only Arab qualifier into the round of 64.The 27-year-old Cairo resident Mohsen will be joining World No. 16 Houssam Elkord of Morocco, who like all the top-32 fencers got a bye into the round of 64, as the two Arab representatives at the three-day epée competition on the final day today.Just like the women’s event on Friday, almost all the top-ranked male fencers advanced into the next round of the one-series, nine-city International Fencing Federation (FIE)-organised senior competition at the expense of their lower-ranked counterparts.The Qatari team, led by world No. 883 Jaber al-Fadaaq, gave a good account of itself despite not advancing into the next round.Al-Fadaaq, the highest-ranked Qatari fencer in the competition, had the best result for the hosts on the day, and he came close to a round of 64 qualification after defeating India’s Udaivir Singh 15-9 in the first round, only for him to suffer defeat by the same scoreline at the hands of Hong Kong’s Ho Tin Ng in the next round, dashing his hopes of advancement.His teammates Mohamed al-Oulan (ranked 903), Mohamed al-Hazaa (ranked 904), Meshaal al-Qahtani (ranked 915), Youssef Abdeltawab, Mohamed Abdulali, and Abdulrahman al-Jadra, however, also gave a good account of themselves despite suffering defeats at the hands of their higher-ranked opponents.Speaking about the tournament, Khaled al-Suwaid, the tournament director, said the competition has witnessed great success on all levels, including the organisation and every technical aspect of it. “We’ve received great applause from the International Fencing Federation (FIE) for the good organisation and preparation of the competition, which has witnessed the participation of the best fencers in the world from 52 countries.“We look forward to a grand finale on Sunday, and we believe everyone will witness great performances from the athletes,” he said.Qatar Grand Prix Fencing Championship 2023 will come to a close today, with the final events in both the women and men categories. Starting with the round of 64 at 5:30pm (Qatar time), the competition will then advance from there into the finals, with the final of the men’s category rounding up the three-day event.Points collected from the $22,000 total prize money event will count in the Olympic qualification race for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Winners in both categories get $5,000 each, while the second-place finisher walks away with $3,000. The semi-finalists will each earn $1,500.

The Oman Rally Team’s Abdullah al-Rawahi and Jordanian co-driver Ata al-Hmoud clinched victory in the Oman International Rally for the second time in three years yesterday.After pre-event favourite Nasser Saleh al-Attiyah crashed on the opening super special stage, al-Rawahi hit the front on the first of a dozen gravel stages in the Sultanate of Oman and stayed clear of major trouble, punctures aside, to guide his Skoda Fabia Evo to victory by the margin of 6min 35.6sec. The feat meant the Omani became one of only 15 drivers ever to win more than one round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.“It was a great feeling to win my home rally for the first time two years ago and to do it again is very special,” said al-Rawahi.“This is a perfect start to the championship for us and I would like to thank Ata for his efforts and the team for giving me such a strong car on what was a difficult rally.”The fastest time on the final stage enabled Petr Kacirek and Petra Rihakova to see off a late challenge from al-Attiyah for second overall and the Czech crew duly sealed the runner-up spot in their Duck Racing Skoda Fabia.Al-Attiyah and Andorra-based co-driver Mathieu Baumel won 11 of the 13 special stages, but the costly error on the first stage damaged the Volkswagen Golf’s radiator and a subsequent time penalty for a seat belt infringement meant the task was ultimately too much for the Qatari to challenge for the win.Al-Attiyah reached the finish at the Muscat Drift Arena in third overall to keep the defence of his regional title firmly on track. He may well have caught Kacirek and snatched second had he not suffered a rear right puncture and driven 17km on the shredding tyre to the finish of the final stage.“After what happened on Thursday, I suppose I am happy enough with the result,” said al-Attiyah.“But I am disappointed to have the puncture on the last stage when second place was achievable. That’s rallying. I drove for 17km on a rear right puncture.”Meshari al-Thefiri and his Qatari co-driver Nasser al-Kuwari were passed by al-Attiyah on the afternoon’s loop of stages but the Kuwaiti managed to finish fourth overall and confirm victory in the MERC2 category in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. He had led the event outright on Thursday evening after winning the opening super special stage.Al-Attiyah’s cousin Nasser Khalifa al-Atya teamed up with Giovanni Bernacchini to round off the top five in a Ford Fiesta R5, while the Jordanian duo of Shaker Jweihan and female co-driver Nancy al-Majali finished sixth and second in MERC2.Kuwait’s Yousef al-Dhefiri overhauled Jordan’s Sheikh Bader al-Fayez to claim seventh overall and third in the showroom category.Jordanian Ihab al-Shorafa was deprived of a finish after stopping in the final stage. The Mitsubishi driver’s demise lifted fellow countryman Shadi Shaban into ninth place and Lebanon’s Ahmad Khaled rounded off the top 10. The Omani crew of Abdullah al-Zubair and Taha Soomar were the last of the finishers in 11th. Ghaith al-Qasmi and Ahmed Salim sealed victory in the day’s round of the Oman National Championship. The Mitsubishi crew beat Faisal and Yaqdhan al-Rashdi by 2min 15.8sec. Mutasim and Nofel al-Balushi came home in third place.The previous day’s winners, Issa Abu Jamous and Yazan Juma, missed out on second place after shedding time in the 12th stage. The Jordanian crew finished fourth, well clear of fifth-placed Abdullah al-Toqi and his Austrian co-driver Ilka Minor.With the exception of Haitham al-Zadjali, nine national entrants began the one-day round of the Oman National Championship. Salim al-Toqi and Saif al-Harthy fell by the wayside after the eighth stage and Mohamed al-Mazroui retired his Yamaha on stage nine. Musab Soomar was the next retirement on SS11.Action in the regional rally series continues in Qatar on February 16th-18th.

The Open Blitz Chess Tournament organised by the Qatar Chess Training Center under the supervision of the Qatar Chess Association (QCA) concluded with 94 players taking part in the event.The competition was held in the blitz chess method according to the Swiss system of nine rounds of three minutes and two seconds per move, in the presence of Mohamed al-Mudahka, president QCA.The Philippines’ Loyola Rawlinson claimed the title garnering 8.5 points ahead of runners-up Syed Abdul Qadir of India. Argentina’s Christian came third while Egypt’s Mahmoud Badr finished fourth.Ryan Mendouza was 5th, Algeria’s Jamal Verhi 6th while India’s Albin Sajjan and Syria’s Mohamed Ptah ended 7th and 8th respectively.Mudahka said the tournament witnessed great excitement among the participants, and this began clearly with the convergence of points at the end of the competitions, pointing out that the tournament had a large participation.He said, “the establishment of such various activities and events on an ongoing basis has several positives, including expanding the game further in Qatar and preparing a conscious chess generation that is able to honourably represent our national teams in international events stressing that the coming period will witness many important and powerful tournaments that will organised by QCA.”

England’s Richard Bland moved into a share of the lead at the Dubai Desert Classic yesterday as Rory McIlroy headed to the driving range after an inconsistent round.With heavy rain forcing a Monday finish Bland, who lost in a play-off last year, added a second straight five-under-par 67 to top the midway leaderboard with Belgium’s Thomas Pieters (67) and American amateur Michael Thorbjornsen (64).Sweden’s Marcus Kinhult (65), Scotland’s Connor Syme (67) and Spain’s Adri Arnaus (68) were tied for fourth at nine-under par on a day when the sun was finally shining.But the 60-odd millimetres of rain dumped over the past few days had made the conditions soft and the preferred lies rules were still in play, abetting the low scores.World number one McIlroy was not best pleased with his round of two-under-par 70.He moved to eight-under par to be tied for seventh, but headed straight to the driving range to sort out an erring driver.The round was helped by an eagle on the 13th hole, where he drained a putt from 34 feet. Otherwise, he just had one birdie and a bogey on an easy scoring day.“Just a little rusty. Yeah, need to go do a little work,” he said.“I think it’s nice when you’re not feeling on your game you have a short game to sort of bail you out, and I think that’s the reason why I’m still not too far away from the lead.”- Bland out to make amends -Bland, who lost out 12 months ago to Viktor Hovland, made just one bogey in the 36 holes and was delighted with his own form.“The conditions were a lot easier. The ball wasn’t going too far this morning. So that was kind of one of the things you just had to be wary of,” he said.“It’s just nice to play with the sun on your back which we’re used to in Dubai,” added the winner of the British Masters in 2021.On his allegiance with LIV golf, and the acrimony it has generated with players and officials resorting to verbal attacks, Bland said he just wanted to keep his focus on playing golf.“I think everybody understands my position at the age that I’m at and the opportunity put in front of me,” commented Bland, who turns 50 next week.For Pieters, it was a round of two halves. He was two-over after making three bogeys on the more difficult front nine, but putted beautifully on the back nine to make seven birdies.“The front nine, I was a bit scruffy. I made two bogeys with a wedge. Coming off the ninth, I was not in a good head space,” said world number 39 Pieters, who missed the cut as the defending champion in Abu Dhabi last week.Stanford junior Thorbjornsen, ranked second in the world amateur golf rankings, made an eagle on the 18th and five birdies in his front nine after starting from the 10th tee.“I enjoy playing professional golf a lot and I’m still an amateur,” he said.“Just the golf courses that we play, the crowd out there, it’s what I’m dreaming of ever since I was five or six years old. It just feels good to be out there.”LIV players Patrick Reed and Ian Poulter are also alongside McIlroy in a group of eight men on eight-under.Luke Donald will play with Henrik Stenson, whom he replaced as Ryder Cup captain after the Swede was sacked for joining LIV, in Sunday’s third round.

Fast bowlers Sisanda Magala, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada earned South Africa a dramatic 27-run win in the first one-day international against England at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Friday.England seemed headed for a comfortable win as Jason Roy and Dawid Malan put on 146 for the first wicket inside the first 20 overs of England’s reply to South Africa’s 298 for seven. Roy went on to score a thrilling 113 off 91 balls but the rest of the batting collapsed.Magala made the crucial breakthrough when Malan mistimed an attempted pull against a short-pitched ball and was caught for 59. He followed up by trapping debutant Harry Brook leg before wicket for nought. Magala took three for 46 and was named man of the match, while Nortje (four for 62) and Rabada (two for 46) were irresistible as the match reached a climax. Five of the wickets fell to short-pitched bowling.“The pitch was a bit two-paced and it made the bouncers effective,” said Magala.England captain Jos Buttler said he was disappointed that his side had not maintained the aggressive intent shown by Roy and Malan. “South Africa came back really well but I thought we could have kept trying to take it on and put pressure on them,” he said. Although he finished on the losing side, Roy gave an emphatic answer to critics who have questioned his place in the team after a poor run of form since he helped England win the World Cup in 2019. He had made only one century since the World Cup, against second-tier Netherlands, and his previous eight innings had yielded only 160 runs with a highest score of 43. But Roy was in dominant form from the start of his innings, reaching his fifty off 45 balls and his century off 79 deliveries. He hit 11 fours and four sixes.Rassie van der Dussen hit a contrasting century to enable South Africa to post a challenging total. Van der Dussen made 111 off 117 balls, hitting only six boundaries. He held the innings together as England’s bowlers came back strongly after an opening stand of 61 off 52 balls between Quinton de Kock and captain Temba Bavuma. England fast bowler Jofra Archer was expensive in his first one-day international since September 2020, taking one for 81 in ten overs. But the rest of the England bowlers made the batsmen work hard for their runs on a slow pitch.South Africa’s total was only 12 runs higher than the average first innings total on a ground known for high scoring.Left-armer Sam Curran took three for 35 in nine overs, mixing up his pace and making good use of the bouncer – a formula which later worked well for the South Africans. The three-match series is part of the World Cup Super League and the win was a boost for South Africa, who have yet to earn automatic qualification for the World Cup in India later this year.Brief scores: South Africa 298-7 in 50 overs (R. van der Dussen 111, D. Miller 53; S. Curran 3-35) bt England 271 in 44.2 overs (J. Roy 113, D. Malan 59; A. Nortje 4-62, S. Magala 3-46) by 27 runs.

Jon Rahm, chasing a third straight US PGA Tour title and a possible return to number one in the world, piled the pressure on Farmers Insurance Open leader Sam Ryder on Friday.Spain’s Rahm, ranked third in the world, fired a six-under par 66 that featured an eagle and five birdies on the Torrey Pines South Course to move within two strokes of Ryder’s lead.Ryder, who started the day with a three-shot cushion over Brendan Steele, needed all of his patience on the way to an even par 72 that included an early bogey offset by one birdie and left him on 12-under par 204. Rahm, who started the day eight adrift, said his goal was to “catch up as much as possible.”After following a birdie at the fourth with a bogey at the fifth, Rahm exploded to pick up five strokes in the space of four holes with birdies at the sixth, seventh and eighth and an eagle at the ninth, where he rolled in a 12-foot putt.“I just kept giving myself pretty much the easiest putts,” Rahm said. “Then on nine, put it in the fairway and was contender for best shot of the year for me already, which was the second shot into the green. I tattooed that five-wood and ended up having 10 feet for eagle.”Rahm added a 13-foot birdie at the 15th, but had to battle to save par at the last two holes after finding fairway bunkers at both. Even with some disappointing shots, Rahm said, he “never really lost composure.”“I stayed really patient out there and took advantage of the holes I could take advantage of and played what I would say was very smart throughout the round,” said the Spaniard, who won the first of his nine US PGA Tour titles at Torrey Pines in 2017 and captured his first major on the course in La Jolla, California, at the US Open in 2021.Rahm, who opened the year with a victory at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and won the American Express in La Quinta, California, last week, is seeking to become the first player since Dustin Johnson in 2017 to win three straight PGA Tour starts.Leading third-round scores(USA unless noted, par-72)204-Sam Ryder 64-68-72206-Jon Rahm (ESP) 73-67-66208-Tony Finau 73-71-64209-Im Sung-jae (KOR) 68-74-67, Collin Morikawa 67-72-70, Max Homa 68-70-71, Sahith Theegala 66-72-71210-Kim Seong-hyeon (KOR) 67-74-69211-Keegan Bradley 70-73-68, Rickie Fowler 72-72-67, Joseph Bramlett 69-71-71, An Byeong-hun (KOR) 68-72-71, Sam Stevens 66-72-73, Brendan Steele 65-70-76212-Ryan Palmer 71-71-70, Xander Schauffele 72-71-69, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 70-73-69, Lanto Griffin 67-75-70, Taylor Moore 72-68-72, Jimmy Walker 69-71-72, Callum Tarren (ENG) 71-69-72, Adam Schenk 71-73-68, Jason Day (AUS) 68-71-73.

Al Sadd and Al Markhiya coaches affirmed their sides' readiness ahead of their 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League Week 12 match.Speaking to the media ahead of their 2022-2023 season QNB Stars League Week 12 match against Al Markhiya, Al Sadd coach Juan Manuel Lillo 'Juanma' said, "Al Markhiya are a team that has great strength and has been built very well. They were recently promoted from the second division, but have shown excellence."I think we played well in our opening match of the league against them. In that match, for example, we had approximately 35-40 minutes (but were edged 4-3)."I am happy with the return of all our players who were with the national team. We have become stronger and we hope to continue working to achieve more victories," said Juanma.Al Markhiya coach Abdullah Mubarak said, "We are playing against a champion side and a refreshed team after their victory over Al Arabi, as they seek to make a comeback into the competition strongly, so for this confrontation match our team will be ready at all technical, tactical and mental levels. We will work to present a good level and it is a match that needs double efforts and concentration."We always play with spirit and confidence, as one family on and off the pitch."Our problem is that we will face the top teams in the league. Our next match is against Al Sadd, then Qatar SC, Al Duhail, Al Arabi and Al Wakrah."It is natural for us to enter the match against Al Sadd in order to achieve victory, but to achieve this ambition we have to be at the top of our effort, focus and solidarity, and deal with the opponent more seriously throughout the 90 minutes."This position is not worrisome, as we have played eight matches so far and there are teams that have played 10 matches," said Abdullah Mubarak.

An emotional Aryna Sabalenka battled back from a set down to beat Elena Rybakina and win the Australian Open on Saturday for her first Grand Slam title.The hard-hitting Belarusian collapsed to the court in tears after winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 against the Wimbledon champion in a high-quality 2hr 28min arm-wrestle on Rod Laver Arena.The 24-year-old Sabalenka wiped a tear from her right eye before getting a warm hug from Moscow-born Rybakina, who played a full part in an amazing match between to hard-hitters.Sabalenka, the fifth seed, then ran to her player's box to celebrate joyously with her team.It was a fitting finale to two weeks of drama at Melbourne Park, highlighted by brutal groundstrokes, precision serving and wonderful rallies from two players at the top of their game.Rybakina cruised through the first set in just 34 minutes but Sabalenka scrapped her way back in a 57-minute second set to take it to a nervy decider.It was then a case of which of the big servers would blink first in a tremendous toe-to-toe battle.At 3-3 Rybakina -- who represents Kazakhstan-- could not find enough first serves and though she saved two break points, a third was too much and Sabalenka had the finish line in sight.An ace took her to 5-3 and Rybakina held to force Sabalenka to test her nerves and serve for the championship.She was up to the challenge, but needed four nerve-shredding match points after a display where she hit an astonishing 51 winners and 17 aces to edge past the big-serving Rybakina.Sabalenka will now rise to second in the world, equalling her career high.Rybakina will have the consolation of breaking into the top 10 for the first time, after reaching her second Grand Slam final in seven months.She was awarded no ranking points for her Wimbledon win because of the ban of Russian and Belarusian players there.

Aryna Sabalenka won the second set 6-3 to force the Australian Open women's final against Elena Rybakina into a third and deciding set on Saturday.Rybakina won the first set 6-4 but the Belarusian Sabalenka fought back to break serve for a 3-1 lead in the second set and then served it out with an ace.

Elena Rybakina won the first set of the Australian Open women's final 6-4 against Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday to close in on a second Grand Slam crown.Wimbledon champion Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but represents Kazakhstan, broke her Belarusian opponent for a 5-4 lead and then served out the set in 34 minutes.

Stefanos Tsitsipas will become Greece's first Grand Slam champion and a world number one if he wins the Australian Open final on Sunday -- he will have his father to thank if he does.There are not many athletes whose careers and outlooks have been forged by near-death experiences, but the 24-year-old world number four is an exception.In 2015, while taking part in a third-tier event in Crete, a teenage Tsitsipas and a friend went swimming and almost fatally misjudged the strength of the currents.The two boys were just moments from being swept away until Tsitsipas's father Apostolos, who is also his coach, dived in to haul them to safety."We couldn't breathe, I felt awful to be inside the water and was terrified. I didn't know how all this was going to end," Tsitsipas once recalled."My father saw us from afar and he jumped in, started swimming towards us and pushed us towards the beach. I was just a few breaths away from dying."If we were supposed to die and lose our lives that day, we would have to do it together. My father was a hero."That was the day I saw life with a different perspective. I remember after that how much psychologically it changed me."Tsitsipas shares the same birthday as Pete Sampras -- August 12 -- and is studious, contemplative.He speaks Greek, English and Russian, and has dabbled in Spanish and Chinese.Sporting familySport is in his genes. Life-saving Apostolos is his coach while mother Julia Salnikova is an ex-tennis pro.His grandfather, Sergei Salnikov, was a 1956 Olympic gold medallist in football playing for the Soviet Union.Since turning pro in 2016, Tsitsipas's career has been on a steadily upward curve.He was ranked 210 in the world in his first season but was inside the top 100 by the end of 2017 and as high as five in 2018, the first Greek to achieve such a status.By the time he was 21 he had already swept wins over the sport's three biggest beasts -- Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.Tsitsipas was the first Greek man to win a tour title and has claimed nine in total, but a Grand Slam crown has remained elusive.He hopes that will change when he faces Djokovic in Sunday's Australian Open final. Victory would also make him world number one for the first time.His only previous major final was in 2021 when he came agonisingly close to the French Open crown, racing into a two-set lead in the final over Djokovic before the Serb mounted an epic comeback to claim victory.His biggest win to date came while he was still 21. He captured the 2019 season-ending ATP Finals title, becoming the youngest champion since Lleyton Hewitt in 2001.

Novak Djokovic has won all nine of his previous Australian Open finals so confidence is sky-high as he bids to equal Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam record and return to world number one.That makes the Serb heavy favourite but in Stefanos Tsitsipas his invincibility will face a major test when they meet in the Melbourne Park title match on Sunday.While Djokovic is into a record 33rd Grand Slam final and bidding to equal Nadal's 22 major crowns, the Greek third seed will play only his second.Adding spice to the showdown, the winner will become world number one, dethroning Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz.That is added incentive for Djokovic, who last held the top ranking in June."Winning Grand Slams and being the number one in the world are probably the two biggest peaks that you can climb as a professional tennis player," the 35-year-old said.In Tsitsipas's only previous Grand Slam final, at Roland Garros in 2021, he fell to Djokovic in five sets after holding a 2-0 lead.But the 24-year-old believes he has matured as a player and a person and is now better suited to the big stage in his quest to become the first Greek player to win a Grand Slam title."I couldn't be more ready for this moment," said Tsitsipas, the youngest man to reach the Melbourne final since a 23-year-old Djokovic in 2011."This is a very humbling opportunity for me, being in the finals here means a lot."Having started here as one of my first junior Grand Slams and being now in the finals of the men's event is as important as my very first steps that I took on the tennis court."I'm going to grasp this opportunity."In a sign of Tsitsipas's growing stature, he made the final after falling in the Melbourne semis three times previously.Fourth seed Djokovic, who missed last year's event when he was deported over his Covid vaccination stance, said he was eager to see what his opponent would bring to the table."I'm of course very satisfied and pleased to be in another Grand Slam final. This is exactly what I've imagined and hoped will happen when I came to Australia," he said."I think that the experience of being in this particular situation and circumstances before helps."I think also the fact that I never lost the Australian Open final definitely serves as a great confidence-booster prior to Sunday."